


Monochromatic

by RayJay47



Series: Monochromatic series [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, Alternate Universe - School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Colors, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Soulmates, colorblind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-23 16:27:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 21,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11406168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayJay47/pseuds/RayJay47
Summary: Soulmate AU where you only see in black and white until you meet your soulmate and then everything is in color. Almost everyone meets their soulmates when they are in their 20s so teachers are alarmed when 2 first graders start seeing in color.





	1. Intro

When you are born, the first thing your little eyes will see is a bright white light and the different shades of grey on the doctors face. The first time you look at your mother, you will see the black in the center of her eyes surrounded by a lighter shade of black or grey. Her face will be the color of smoke, darker under her cheek bones and the sides of her nose, but lighter at the center of her forehead and the tip of her nose. Her hair would look like salt and pepper, as would your fathers, and everyone else's in the room. 

As you get older, you are told about what it will be like after you meet your soulmate. Meeting the person you will spend the rest of your life with changes everything. Some describe it as a bright flash, and then everything you see changes. 

The sky changes from a dull hue of grey to a vibrant blue. You watch as your hands change and become a warm, earthy tone. Everyone's eyes are now a different color, whether it is a deep green or a simple brown. 

As soon as you meet your soulmate, you are introduced to color. 

This has been happening for as long as anyone could remember. As soon as you have physical contact with your soulmate, your vision will change. Kids are taught how to tell the difference between shades so that they can navigate the world until they meet their soulmates and for when their soulmate dies. 

Even though you see in color when you meet your soulmate, it won't stay that way forever. The colors disappear as soon as the soulmate dies, and it won't return after that. If the two people do not love each other, or split up, the colors will diminish until there is barely any contrast to them at all. If they get back together, the colors return.

When you turn 18, you are allowed to start looking for your soulmate. There are websites and companies that you can pay to help you find them. It is rare for people to find their soulmates before they reach their twenties or after they turn 40.

It is extremely rare for a 5 year old and a 7 year old to be soulmates.


	2. Whitewash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri meets the new student at school.
> 
> This takes place in America. I thought it would be easier for me to write. Viktor is Yuri's older brother because why the fuck not. They are transfer students, and Yuri skipped a grade so he is 5 while everyone else is 6. Otabek was gelded back a year, so he is 7.

     "Do I have to go to school, grandpa?" Yuri asked as he and his grandfather waited for the bus. 

     At only 5 years old, Yuri hated school. He didn't like having to get up early and have his grandpa dress him. Yuri knew he was old enough to dress himself, by his grandfather said something about wanting the colors to match.

     Yuri looked down at his clothes and sighed. To him, it looked like he was wearing a black T-shirt with a white cat on it and dark grey pants. He knew it looked different to his grandfather, though.

     He was young, so he didn't really understand much about the color concept. He knew that since his grandfather and his grandmother met, they see thins differently then he does. He knows that the grass doesn't look the same as the pavement, and the sun doesn't look the same as the moon. 

     It confuses him to think that one day he will look in the mirror and it won't be the same person staring back at him. What does his hair look like? And his eyes? Will he still look like his dad?

     Yuri's grandfather sighed. "Yes, Yura. I thought you liked going to school! What about all of your friends?"

     Yuri went silent. What he didn't want to tell his grandfather was that he didn't get along with the other students. They all talked differently then he did, and they played different games then he did. It didn't help that he was the youngest in the class. He skipped a year when he transfered from Russia.

     "Can't I stay home with Viktor?" He pleaded. Viktor, his older brother, was home sick with the flu. His grandfather just shook his head and looked away when the bus arrived.

     "Have a good day, Yuri. If you are good today, I will take you to the rink this afternoon. How does that sound?"

     Yuri smiled and hugged his grandfather. He always knew how to cheer him up. Waving goodbye, Yuri stepped onto the bus and took his seat in the back.

     He was lucky that he lived far enough from the school that he had to take the 3rd bus. Barely any other kids rode this one. Only one girl from his class, but a few from the older grades.

     There was a really loud boy named JJ that always sat with some girl. He didn't remember her name, and only remembered JJ's because of how often he shouted it out. They sat in the back near Yuri.

     A lighter haired boy in junior high sat up front. He was pretty sure his name started with a C or something, but didn't know much about him. There was a darker skinned boy that sat with him and always had his phone out.

     Yuri felt lonely without Viktor to sit with him. On days where they were running late, Viktor would sneak PopTarts on the bus for them to eat. On normal days, Viktor would help him do any homework he had yet to finish, or talk with him about skating.

     Sighing, Yuri put his feet up on the seat in front of him. He watched his shoelaces swing back and forth and regretted not wearing his slip one. His shoes became untied easily, but he had yet to learn how to tie them himself.

     It took 15 minutes to get to the school. It was a small school, all 13 grades put together. Back in Russia, Yuri went to a school that had more people in one of his grades than this school had in 2. He still wasn't used to the American names for everything.

     He grabbed his bag and got off the bus. He kept his head down as he walked into the building, trying not to draw attention to himself. He had his stuffed tiger, Kilma, in his bag. He wanted nothing more than to sit down and cuddle it.

     He made sure to keep it hidden in the bottom of his bag. He brought it out during class one day and got picked on by the other kids. They called him a baby and took Kilma from him. Yuri had cried until the teacher gave it back to him and sent the other students into time out. 

     Americans confused him. His grandmother said that they would be nicer to him than the kids in Russia. He had friends in Russia. No one here even wanted to talk to him.

     On the first day of school, they were allowed to pick where they sat. Yuri had sat down with a group of other boys, thinking nothing of it. He tried to talk with them, but his English was rusty and he accidentally said that he thought another students hair was stupid instead of cool. 

     He had a hard time with that group. They started being really rough with him during recess and always stole his crayons. By the beginning of the second week, Yuri convinced the teacher to let him move desks.

     Now, instead of sitting at a table with 3 other kids, he sat with only one. The other kid, Georgi, didn't talk much and would always stare at one of girls at a different table. Yuri was just happy that he didn't mess with him like the others did.

     When Yuri walked into his classroom, he saw someone sitting in his seat. He frowned, and walked over. That desk was his. He fought hard for that desk. It had his name on it. No one should sit there but him.

     "Hey, dummy, that's my seat!" He shouted. The other kid turned to look at him, and Yuri froze. He had never seen this person before.

     His hair was short, a lot shorter than Yuri's. It seemed to be a darker shade than his, even darker than his teachers. He also looked a lot older. He had an unamused look on his face, but raised an eyebrow when Yuri approached him.

     "What?" The kid asked. Yuri noticed that he spoke differently than the other students, but didn't sound anything like him, either. That made him even more mad.

     "That's my seat! My name is on it! Move!" 

     Yuri put his hands on the kids shoulders and shoved. As soon as he touched him, however, it looked like a bomb went off. He yelped and covered his eyes, hoping to get rid of the brightness he was seeing. 

     He didn't hear anything from the other kid, and it sounded like none of the other students noticed anything. Did they not just see that light? What's going on?

     Hesitantly, Yuri removed his hands and opened his eyes. He gasped and felt his heart start beating faster in his chest. The kid was on the floor, staring at his hands with an amazed look on his face. But that wasn't what was making Yuri panic.

     The boys hair changed from a dark grey to a completely different color. But his hair wasn't the only thing that was changing. His eyes, his skin, his lips, even his clothes. They were all getting different looks to them. Yuri had never seen anything like this before.

     After the boy was changed from shades of grey to multiple different colors, everything around them started doing the same. The floor. The desks. The walls. Yuri looked down at himself and whimpered. His white tiger wasn't white anymore.

     "Что ебешь я просто сделал?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tel me if anyone is actually interested in this. I don't really have a plan for this, but I thought it was a fun idea.


	3. Onyx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was really surprised at all the requests I've gotten for this fic already. I didn't expect for so many people to like this. If any of you have been following me for a while, you know I'm really sporadic when it comes to updates. Sometimes I will update 3 times in 2 days, and sometimes it will be a year before I update. I will try to come up with a schedule for this one in the future, but for now, enjoy a chapter. This one is really long btw

Otabek checked his backpack to make sure he had everything for the third time that morning. It was his first day at a new school and he didn't want to be unprepared. He had his pencils, his notebooks, his crayons, his highlighters...but where were his markers?

He looked around his room. On this dressers, under his bed, on his desk, on his bookshelf. He couldn't find them anywhere.

They were on the supplies list. His mom bought them for him to use. He'd feel bad if he didn't take them with him on his first day.

He decided to look in the kitchen. He walked in and saw his little sister sitting on her high chair. She was getting too old for it, but refused to sit anywhere else. Otabek guessed that she just wanted to feel as tall as he was.

"Beckie! Beckie! Look what I made for you!" Damira shouted at him. She held up a piece of paper with scribbled on it.

Otabek gave her a smile small and walked over to her. He took the drawing and kissed her forehead. "It is beautiful, Da."

She giggled when he kissed her and looked up at him. "I borrowed your markers, I hope you don't mind!"

"Not at all. What do you want for breakfast?"

Otabek thought back to when he was her age. He had breakfast made for him all the time. He could recall waking up to the smell of French toast and bacon, and hearing his mother singing happily.

That was before his father died. He had been on his way home from work when he was hit by a drunk driver. It had been almost a year since the accident, and his mom never got over it.

He remembered playing a board game with his mom when the phone rang. Damira was sleeping, so his mom answered it quickly. He remembered his mom dropping the phone and crying.

Shaking his head, Otabek went to the fridge. He didn't like thinking of that day. He grabbed a fruit cup for his sister and an apple for himself. He tried not to think about how there was more of moms funny drinks than food in the fridge.

"Want some milk?" Otabek asked. He saw Damira nod her head and grabbed the jug. He grabbed her sippy cup from the cabinet and poured it in before putting the lid on and handing it to her.

He heard his moms door open just as he was putting the milk up. He froze for a second, but sighed in relief when he heard the shower running. He didn't like being around her in the mornings, especially when she spent the night drinking the funny stuff.

He busied himself with packing his lunch as he ate his breakfast. As soon as he bit into the apple, he made a displeased noise. He must have grabbed one of the sour ones by mistake. He didn't like them nearly as much ad the sweet ones, but it was impossible for him to tell the difference. His mom told him once that the sour ones are a different color than the red ones, and he will be able to tell the difference when he is older.

Otabek looked at the clock on the stove and frowned. The bus would come get him in 10 minutes. His neighbor, Mrs. Johnson, would watch Damira while he and his mom are gone for the day. Otabek still hated leaving her.

"Are you going to be a good girl today, Da?" He asked her as he stuffed his lunch in his bag.

"Of course!" She said, smiling. "Mrs. J has all sorts of games for me to play!"

Otabek couldn't help but smile. Damira was big hearted, even at her age. She doesn't remember much of their dad, or anything before he died. But she still smiled, no matter what was going on.

"I have to go to school now. I will see you when I come home, okay?" 

Damira nodded and opened her arms for a hug. Otabek walked over and picked her up, holding her close to his chest. When he was done, he set her done so she could get dressed and he walked out the front door.

The boards on the front porch squeaked as Otabek stepped on them. The house they bought was old and cheap, nothing like the one they used to live in. Still, there were a lot of hiding places for when he played with his sister, so that was what mattered. 

He walked out onto the sidewalk and stuck his hands in his pockets. It was October, and the temperature was already dropping. It was colder here than back home.

The bus made a loud noise as it stopped in front of his house. It was the same noise that his moms car made when she stopped. He remembered her always complaining about the breaks. Maybe the bus had the same problem?

He took a deep breath as he stepped on the bus. He had expected it to be full of kids, but there was only 5 other kids on the bus. There were two boys that looked twice his age sitting together near the front. One of them looked up at him and waved. Otabek didn't return it.

There seemed to be a couple sitting in the back, and a small boy that was facing the window. He looked too young to be in school. Otabek almost went over and sat by him, but instead sat in the middle by himself.

He looked out the window and at his house as the bus started moving. He knew that things would be different when he moved to another country, but he didn't think they would be this bad. His whole neighborhood just looked sad. All of the houses had tall weeds in the front yards, chipped paint on the walls, and a few even had gates in their front lawns.

Otabek watched as the houses changed as he got closer to the school. He saw houses with trimmed green grass and trees in their lawns. He even saw some two story houses. They looked like mansions compared to his.

The school didn't seem much different than his last one. He knew that he would be getting a different kind of education, though. He was just glad that he finally passed English.

His dad was the one that started teaching him. His school had made it a requirement, and Otabek didn't find it too hard. The way his dad taught it made it a lot easier than how his school did. When his dad died, however, Otabek lost interest and ended up falling the class, making him get held back a year.

He had never been the oldest in his class. Will the other students be scared of him? Will they even want to talk to him? He didn't mind being alone most of the time, but it would be nice to have at least one friend.

He got off the bus quickly and hurried to his classroom. He wanted to get there early so that he could meet his teacher. It wasn't hard to find, and the door was covered in drawings from the other students. Otabek wondered if he would have to draw something for it.

His teacher, Mrs. Belle, was standing next to the door. She smiled when she saw him, and Otabek could see that she had braces. He thought only teenagers got braces? Americans are weird.

"Hi! You must be Otabek. Why don't you go sit down at the table next to my desk? It is the only one with an empty seat." She told him while other students filed in.

He looked around the room and noticed that there were 5 tables. The one furthest from her desk had 4 boys sitting at it, and they were laughing at something. Next to them was a table of girls. The other 2 had a mix of girls and boys, but his table only had one person sitting at it.

Otabek walked over and sat down at the seat caddy corner to the other student. He nodded his head on acknowledgement, but got ignored. He was just about to speak when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Hey, dummy, that's my seat!" The shorter boy from the bus yelled at him.

He seemed to young to be in this class. He could just be really short. His voice was a lot higher pitched than his, so maybe not.

What he didn't understand was the kids voice. His words sounded harsher than the other Americans he met, and not just because he was angry.

Otabek looked over at the teacher before looking back at the kid. Otabek was told to sit here, so he can't move, right?

"That's my seat! My name is on it! Move!" The boy yelled at him again.

Before Otabek could do anything, he felt the boy put his small hands on his shoulders. The boy shoved, surprisingly strong for his size. Otabek fell off the chair and onto the ground. His back hit the ground first, and he winced, seeing white.

He blinked, trying to get his vision to go back. This had happened before when he hit his head on his dresser. His mom said it was a concussion, and it happens when you hit your head hard enough. But Otabek didn't think he hit his head when he fell?

After he blinked a few more times, he saw the white slowly disappear. He looked up at the boy and saw that he was covering his eyes and making a noise like he was in pain. While he was trying to figure out what happened, he saw something on the boys hands.

Otabek didn't know how to describe it. The boys hands were turning from grey to something different altogether. He knew right away that what he was seeing was color.

He remembered asking his mom and dad about it before. His mom told him that she fainted as soon as she saw his fathers green eyes. He remembered his dad laughing, saying he hard to hold her up until she awoke, and that gave him time to look at her.

The colors started to bleed from his hands outwards and to the rest of his body. Otabek was sad that he couldn't see the boys face. Instead, he looked down at himself, curious to see what he looked like. 

He stared in awe as he watched color go to his hands. He was a darker skin tone than the boy was, which he thought was amusing. He never knew that his soulmate would be so different from him.

Otabek looked around and saw that the colors were everywhere. Slowly, everyone and everything around him changed. He stood up, carefully, not wanting to startle the boy that started all of it. 

"What's your name?" Otabek asked him, gently grabbing his hands and removing them from his face. 

He was finally able to see his eyes. They were so bright. He wondered what the name of the beautiful color was. 

The boy stared at him for a few seconds before getting an annoyed look on his face. "My names Yuri, but if you looked at the chair before you sat, you'd see that."


	4. Sandcastle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so surprised at how much love this is getting. Seriously. I love reading all of your comments! I decided to go ahead and post another chapter. I have two more already written, but am trying to figure out if I should have a schedule or just publish them when I finish them. Let me know what you guys think.

Yuri felt like screaming. It was overwhelming to watch everything around him change. It reminded him of leaving Russia.

He didn't like change. He wished he had more control of what was happening to him. He had no choice on whether or not he moved to America. He had no choice on who is soulmate was, or when he'd meet him.

His grandfather said that he took after his mother. That she always like being in control, too. His was warned to be careful about this, and that it could lead to problems when he is older.

Looking at the boy in front of him, he realized that he couldn't change what just happened. Maybe it was his fault. He had been wanting a friend for a long time, and maybe that's what he got.

The boy's touch was soothing, and it calmed him instantly. After telling each other their names, they just stared at each other. It was like he was trying to memorize his face.

He said his name was Otabek. It was a mouthful to say, and Yuri knew he'd have to give him a nickname. Figuring out the Americans names was hard enough. He had no idea where Otabek was from, but he knew it wasn't America. Or, at least, not this part of it.

Otabek was still holding Yuri's hands in his. They were bigger than his, and felt softer. Yuri was used to the feel of course hands. The weather in Russia had a tendency to dry out his skin and leave it rough. He even had a few marks from catching himself on the ice.

His skin was a lot darker than his was. Most of the student's would comment on he paleness, but it looked even more prominent next to Otabek. 

He noticed how his clothes didn't seem to fit him like they should. His shirt looked too big for him, and he had to wear a belt with his jeans. It reminded him of when Viktor would give him his old clothes, and they never seemed to fit him right.

Suddenly, Yuri felt hands on his shoulder and he was yanked away from Otabek. He was spun around and was met with his teacher, looking furious. He had never seen her this mad, at least not at him.

"Yuri Plisetsky, what has gotten into you? That is now how you treat a new student!" Mrs. Belle yelled at him.

She didn't seem to understand what had just happened between the two of them. Could she not tell that they were seeings things differently now? Wasn't it obvious that Yuri could now see that her eyes were a completely different color than Otabek's?

Instead of answering her, Yuri started crying. He didn't even know why. He was a child, so he wasn't good at managing his feelings. He hated getting yelled at, and it always made him cry. The whole situation frustrated him, and that only made him cry even more.

Otabek, having watched the scene unfold, panicked when he started to cry. He was supposed to protect his soulmate, right? He moved forward and grabbed Yuri, pulling him into his arms. He glared at the teacher who had dared to upset his Yuri.

"Leave him alone! He did not mean for this to happen!" Otabek shouted at her as he tried to soothe the crying child in his arms.

Mrs. Belle's eyes widened, having not expected the outburst. From what she read in his transcript, Otabek was a quiet child that never caused trouble. She had dealt with troubled kids in the past, but has never seen any have tantrums like this. 

She crossed her arms and looked down at her students. She put an stern tone in her face, demanding authority. "I'm going to count to three. If both of you aren't in your seats and quiet, I will have to call your parents. 1..."

Otabek didn't move.

"2..."

Yuri tightened his grip on him and buried his face in his shoulder. He wasn't as brave as Otabek was. He just wanted to crawl under his desk and hide.

"3."

Tilting his head up, Otabek gave his new teacher a challenging look. She could try to call his mom all she wanted. He knew she wasn't going to answer. 

Yuri, on the other hand, was terrified. He promised his grandfather he would be good. There was no way he would take him to the rink now.

They watched as the teacher made her way to her desk and grabbed her cellphone. Looking around, Yuri noticed that all of the students were staring at them. Some were shocked, others confused. The boys that always bullied him had smirks on their faces.

The leader of the group, Tommy, started laughing. "Are you two boyfriends now?"

Everyone in the class started laughing, and didn't stop when the teacher tried to shush them. Yuri felt humiliated. But he couldn't help but wonder that himself.

Were they boyfriends? They were obviously soulmates, but does that mean that they can't be friends? Were they going to get married? Could you get married at 5?

Yuri thought of his own parents and their marriage. He didn't want to end up like they did. But his grandfather and grandmother were still married and they loved each other.

What if Yuri did take after his parents? Otabek seemed really nice and Yuri needed a friend. He didn't want to ruin that by getting married to him.

He will have to ask his grandfather about this. Normally, if he needed advice, he would go to Viktor. Being a teenager, he knew everything there was to know. For some reason, Yuri didn't think Viktor would be able to help him here.

How was Viktor going to react? Yuri met his soulmate before his brother did. He knew that Viktor was going to throw a fit as soon as he found out. He always made everything about him.

His grandmother would be happy for him. She used to read him stories to help him sleep. She would always read him stories with happy endings and people being together forever.

Yuri wasn't stupid. He knew that she just did that so he wouldn't think badly of marriage after his parents divorce. He was old enough to not be fooled by her. He was almost 6 years old!

"Yuri, your grandfather will be here shortly. He is very disappointed in you. Otabek, I'm still trying to reach your mother. I want both of you to go wait in the time out box." Mrs. Belle told them, her phone pressed to her ear.

Otabek held Yuri's hand in his as they walked over to the time out box. It was a cardboard box in the corner of the room decorated with drawings and stickers of super villains.

As soon as they sat down, Yuri removed his hand from Otabek. Otabek didn't push it, and instead stared down at his hands. He couldn't get over how amazing the color looked.

"Where are you from?" Yuri asked after a few minutes.

Otabek looked over at him, and saw that Yuri had been looking at his hands, too. He probably wanted to know why he was darker than he was, and why he talked differently than the other students. Otabek noticed that Yuri did, too, but assumed he would tell him if he wanted to.

"I'm from a another country called Kazakhstan." Otabek replied. "It's really far away."

Yuri nodded and looked down at his feet. He thought it was cool that he wasn't the only one that moved from far away, but he also understood how hard it was to do so. He felt bad that Otabek was going through the same thing he was.

That sat in silence for a while. Neither of them really knew what to say. Yuri had his knees pulled to his chest and was resting his chin on top of them. Otabek, on the other hand, was sitting up straight and watching him.

"Your shoes are untied." Otabek finally said, breaking the silence.

"Huh?"

"Your shoes. Want me to tie them for you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe "Your shoes are untied" can be our always.


	5. Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am thinking of publishing a new chapter ever Friday and Tuesday. What do you guys think?

Nikolai Plisetsky was making Viktor soup when the phone rang. He checked the caller ID and frowned. It was Yuri's teacher. His grandson must have done something wrong.

After turning off the stove, he answered the phone. "Catherine, what seems to be the problem this time?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, Nikolai." She started. "But I need you to come up to the school. Yuri is causing problems with our new student."

Nikolai furrowed his eyebrows. He knew his grandson could be difficult, but he had never been disrespectful to any of the students. For him to do so with someone new was strange.

"What do you mean? What has he done?"

"To be honest with you, I am not sure what the boys are doing. I'd really like for you to come talk with him." She explained.

Yuri had never acted so poorly that he had to go up to the school and talk to him before. Viktor, on the other hand, was a drama magnet. He had a tendency to say things without thinking how it will effect other people. 

Viktor and Yuri were nothing alike. Yuri took their parents divorce a lot harder than Viktor did. This was most likely due to the fact that Viktor had seen it coming for years. Yuri, however, had no idea.

Nikolai knew that Yuri would need time to adjust and would act out every now and then. Moving to a completely different country was tough on a 5 year old, and he was surprised it took him this long to get in fights.

He walked over to his eldest grandsons room and opened the door. Viktor was sprawled out in bed and groaning like he was dying. He made the flu look like cancer. He hadn't even showered in 3 days and Nikolai could smell him from here.

"Stop being so dramatic, Viktor. You are not dying." He said as he set the bowl of chicken soup on his nightstand.

To check his temperature, he pushed Viktor's hair out of his face and put his palm on his forehead. He had been trying to get Viktor to cut his hair for years, but the teenager refused. He was starting to look more like a girl than a boy.

"Your fever is going down. You will be able to go back to school by next Monday."

Instead of replying, Viktor just groaned and rolled over on his stomach. Nikolai rolled his eyes and stood up. He grabbed the dirty dishes from last night and headed for the door.

"I have to go talk to your brothers teacher. I will be back later." He said as he left the room. 

He put the dishes in the sink and put on his coat. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door. The house they lived in reminded him a little bit of his old house in Russia.

Yuri and Viktor only moved in with Nikolai and his wife 6 months ago. After the divorce, neither parent wanted to be burdened with the kids so Nikolai stepped up and got custody.

He knew that his grandsons deserved better than what they got, but it could have been worse. If he hadn't taken them, they could have ended up in foster care. So, even though he couldn't give them a house as nice as the one their parents had owned, at least he could make sure they stayed together.

His wife, Viktoria, was a nurse. She was offered a promotion along with 3 other nurses. She wasn't going to take it, considering that the promotion was to work in a hospital in America, but Nikolai insisted. He thought it would be good for Yuri and Viktor to get a fresh start.

It is a lot warmer here than in Russia. Viktor had been taking advantage of that and would walk around half naked more than dressed. He had little interest in waiting for his soulmate and would rather start dating now.

Nikolai wondering what kind of trouble Yuri had gotten into has he drove to the school. Did he call a kid stupid? Steal his crayons? There isn't much that a 5 year old could do.

He felt kind of bad putting Yuri in first grade. He would be the youngest by a whole year, and knew that could cause problems with the other students. But the curriculum in the private school they had went to in Russia was more advanced than the public school here. Yuri was still ahead of most of the first graders, and could have been put in second grade if his English was better.

He wished he could say the same for Viktor.

One thing that he knew the kids missed the most was the skating. Their old school had its own rink, and that's where the boys started skating. They had loved it instantly, and it was the only sport they excelled at. Viktor tried being part of the track team, but he didn't have the stamina to keep up with the other runners.

They were lucky enough to live in a town close to a rink. It was in a city an hour away, but it was better than nothing. He had also been told of a lake near their house that freezes over in the winter.

Once Nikolai arrived at the school, he parked in the section labeled 'visitors' and got out of his car. He shoved his keys in his pocket and walked to the Early Childhood building.

Catherine Belle was waiting for him when he walked into the classroom. The students were all at their desks, coloring pictures. He always thought it was funny to watch the kids draw, since they didn't know what colors they were using.

He didn't see Yuri in his normal desk. After a quick glance around, he saw him sitting in some box in the corner with another kid. His arms were crossed and he was pouting, while the other kid kept looking around the room.

"Mr. Plisetsky, thank you for coming." The teacher said as she approached him. She had a worried look on her face, and kept biting her lip.

"Of course. Can you tell me what the problem is?"

Catherine led him over to where the two boys were sitting. Yuri didn't move, but the other boy looked up at him as he approached. He noticed that the boy's eyes seemed to be scanning his face, which confused him.

To get his attention, Catherine cleared her throat. "Yuri, why don't you tell your grandfather what happened?"

"No."

Nikolai raised an eyebrow at his grandson. "What did you do, Yurochka?"

They waited impatiently as Yuri stayed quiet. Nikolai was about to speak again when the boy next to him stood up.

"It wasn't his fault, sir. It was mine." The kid told him. It was obvious that he was nervous, but Nikolai admired his bravery. He even looked him in the eyes when he spoke.

"Can you explain to me what happened?" He asked him, keeping his voice calm. He didn't want to frighten the kid even more.

He looked down at his feet and played with his hands. Nikolai looked over at Yuri, and saw that he was now glaring at the boy. Whatever happened, Yuri didn't want him to tell.

"Um...well...Yuri and I are soulmates."


	6. Olive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: I go on vacation next week, so updates might be slow until August. I'm not sure yet.

As soon as Otabek told the adults that Yuri was his soulmate, he knew it was a mistake. They looked like they didn't believe him, which made him mad. Why would it be a hard thing to believe?

He watched as Mrs. Belle and Yuri's grandfather looked at each other. They didn't speak for the longest time, and Otabek felt like he was going to have to prove it. It would be easier if Yuri would just help him out, but he still refused to talk.

"I am telling the truth, sir. Yuri pushed me out of the chair, and then everything I saw turned different!"

Yuri's grandfathers eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. He looked between Otabek, to Yuri, and then back to Otabek. Finally, someone was believing him!

"Yuri, is this true?" His grandfather asked him. "Can you see colors now?"

Otabek felt guilty as Yuri nodded his head and looked down. He had told Otabek that he didn't want the grown ups to know. He didn't want them to force the two of them to get married.

Yuri wouldn't tell him why, but he hated marriage. He said it was stupid and that he never wanted to do that. It made Otabek sad, because his parents had loved being married. But he didn't want to do anything Yuri didn't want to do.

He didn't think that they would be forced to marry each other. When his cousin had met her soulmate, they didn't get married until a year later. One of his teachers at his old school never even married her soulmate!

While he was thinking of all the people with soulmates he knew, Otabek realized something. Every single pair of soulmates that he knew were a boy and a girl. His mom and dad were a boy and a girl. So were his aunts and uncles, and all of his cousins.

It didn't make sense. He was a boy, and so was Yuri. Shouldn't one of them be a girl? Were they even allowed to be soulmates?

He looked over at Yuri and frowned. "Why aren't you a girl?"

Yuri looked up, startled at the question. "What do you mean?"

Otabek noticed that both of the adults were now watching him, with matching looks on their faces. They looked like they knew what he was going to say, and that they didn't want him to say it.

"Well, soulmates are a boy and a girl, right? I'm a boy, so shouldn't you be a girl?"

He must have said something wrong, because Yuri started wailing. All he did was ask a simple question. Why did that hurt Yuri's feelings?

"Perhaps we should discuss this later, when the boys parents are here?" Otabek heard Yuri's grandfather say as he picked him up.

Yuri wrapped his arms around his grandfathers neck and started sucking on his thumb. He had stopped crying, but kept hiccuping and sniffling. He wouldn't even look at Otabek.

"I think that would be best. I've been trying to call his mother, but she won't pick up. Why don't you take Yuri home, and I will call you when I get a hold of her?"

Otabek knew that they won't be able to talk to his mom until it was night time. She worked during the day, and Mrs. Johnson took care of Damira and him until she came home. Sometimes, Mrs. Johnson would be busy and it would just be the two of them.

Even though he was upset with him, Yuri waved at Otabek as his grandfather carried him out of the classroom. Otabek smiled and waved back. As long as Yuri was going to be okay, he felt fine.

His teacher made him sit at the desk next to Yuri's and gave him a coloring page. She went back to her desk and kept messing with her phone. It was going to be a long day.

The page that he was given had a picture of a dinosaur on it. Otabek liked dinosaurs, especially the ones with the long necks. He got his crayon box out of his bag and opened it up.

There were so many colors! He felt is eyes widen as he looked at them all. They looked so much cooler now that he knew what they were. He took out the one he used to use the most and read the name on the side.

Green. He liked it the most. It reminded him of Yuri's eyes. He used it to color the body of the dinosaur.

He needed a color for it's eyes. He looked around in his box and read the names for each color. He liked blue, red, and pink, but didn't like orange and yellow. He put the ones he didn't like aside and used the rest to finish his picture.

When he was done, he looked over at the other students pictures. They looked nothing like his. One girl had colored the entire page yellow, and another had a bunch of different colors scribbled together.

None of their pictures looked as cool as his did. He was about to start another page, this one of a robot, when one of the students came up to him and grabbed his green crayon.

"Hey! That's mine!" He said to her.

"I want to use it. Use this one instead." She set down a purple crayon and started walking back to her desk.

This wasn't fair! The purple crayon wasn't nearly as cool looking as the green. He didn't wasnt to use the purple.

Angry, Otabek picked up the purple crayon and threw it at the girl. "This one is ugly! I want mine back!"

The crayon flew over one of the desks and hit the girl in the back of the head. Even though he didn't throw it hard, the girl instantly started crying. Otabek didn't care. He wanted his crayon back.

He got out of his desk and walked over to her. He grabbed the green crayon from her and stuck his tongue out at her. That is what she gets for being mean. She shouldn't take things that don't belong to her.

"Otabek! That is not nice! Apologize to Sally right now!" Mrs. Belle yelled at him from her desk.

The girl, Sally, had stopped crying and was now looking at him. He knew that it wasn't a nice thing to do, and that he should say sorry. But his mom told him not to lie, and he wasn't sorry for what he had done.

Instead, he mumbled under his breath to make it sound like he apologized and went back to his seat. He thought that people here would be nice. That's what his mom had told him. So far, all he knew about Americans were that they were loud and rude.

He spent the rest of the day coloring and reading picture books. When it was time for lunch, Mrs. Belle pulled him aside.

"I finally got through to your mom. She should be here any minute."

Otabek froze. His mom was coming? That wasn't good.

His mom had been at work. She doesn't like being bothered when she is working. She is going to be angry. Very angry. Otabek didn't like to be around her when she was angry.

He remembered the first time she got really mad at him. It was when they were still living in Kazakhstan, only a month after the accident. He was running around the house when he accidentally knocked over a picture of his dad.

His mom had heard the noise and came over to see what broke. As soon as she saw the broken picture on the ground, she lost it. She started screaming at Otabek so loud that her fa e turned bright red. It made his ears ring, and he could hear Damira crying in the other room.

He remembered being scared that she was going to hurt him. He felt that way a lot when she drank. She never did, though. No matter how bad things got at home, Otabek knew it could always be worse.


	7. French Vanilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get to meet Otabek's mom

"Would you like some juice, Yuri?" His grandmother asked him. She had left work early, wanting to figure out their situation.

Yuri shook his head and held his tiger closer to his chest. He was sitting on the couch, watching cartoons. Even his favorite cartoons looked different.

They had been treating him like he was a bomb all day long. It was as though one wrong move would set him off. His grandparents always looked at him as if he was a temperamental infant.

He wished he could go back to that morning and redo the whole day. They were going to make a big deal over this. Yuri could tell that much already. This is exactly why he didn't want Otabek to tell them that they were soulmates. 

Otabek and his mom were supposed to come by and talk with them. Yuri didn't understand why the adults had to be involved. Its not like they were the ones that had everything they known ripped out from under them.

Yuri thought back to what Otabek had said earlier. Soulmates are a boy and a girl. Since they were both boys, there was no way that they could be soulmates. 

So what were they? Was there something wrong with them? Were they broken or something? He was so confused.

Otabek wasn't so bad. Sure, he was kind of quiet sometimes and seemed too serious, but he stood up for Yuri. He was brave and kind hearted and really strong, too! There were worse people that Yuri could have ended up with.

But what about the future? They were just kids. Yuri was 5, and Otabek was 7. Were they going to have to be together for the rest of their lives?

Yuri wouldn't mind being friends with Otabek. He liked him, and thought he was funny. Yuri had only known him for a few hours, but it felt like they had known each other for ages. Maybe that's what soulmates felt like.

It didn't take long for Otabek and his mom to arrive. When she walked in, Yuri noticed that she didn't look happy. Did he get Otabek in trouble?

He also couldn't help but noticed that Otabek had her eyes. He felt silly for thinking of it, but it was true. Her hair was lighter than his, though. He must have gotten his hair from his dad.

"Boys, why don't you stay in here and watch cartoons?" Yuri's grandmother said, poking her head out if the kitchen. "The grown ups need to talk."

Otabek came and sat on the couch next to Yuri as he mom went into the kitchen. She shut the door behind her, leaving them alone.

They sat in silence, watching reruns of Bugs Bunny and trying to hear what they were saying in the other room.

The house might have been small, but the walls were thick. They couldn't hear anything from the kitchen. With a roll of his eyes, Yuri gave up and turned to Otabek.

"What do you think they are saying?" He asked.

Otabek shrugged, not looking away from the TV. "I have no idea."

Yuri huffed and crossed his arms. He pouted and looked back at the TV. He hated when people talked about him. He knew his grandparents wouldn't say anything bad, but Otabek mom didn't seem like like him already.

This gave Yuri another question. "Where is your dad?"

"Heaven, I think." Otabek said, getting a look in his eyes that Yuri couldn't figure out. It was almost like he was sad.

Heaven? Wasn't that were people go when they want to be happy? That's where Viktor said their other grandfather was. He said that his other grandmother was there, too,but she had been there long before Yuri was even born.

"Where are your parents, Yuri?" 

Yuri bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "They still live in Russia."

He looked over at Otabek, expecting him to make fun if him. That's what the other kids at school did when he told them. They pointed at him and laughed and said that even his parents didn't want him.

That's what Viktor said, too. He said that their parents didn't want them anymore, and that's why they weren't with him. When he asked his grandparents, however, they told him that his parents didn't deserve him.

Yuri would have believed them if they hadn't acted weird when he asked. They gave each other The Look. They did this every time Yuri asked them a question they didn't want to answer, like when he asked where babies came from.

He didn't even want to think about the answer Viktor told him.

The funny thing was, Otabek didn't laugh at him. He didn't call him mean things are break his stuff. No, instead if doing any of that, he hugged him.

Yuri froze at first. No one had hugged him since his parents left. He hadn't let anyone. He hated hugs and the way they made him feel weak.

Having Otabek hold him, however, made him feel better than any hug he hadn't ever received. He found himself hugging him back and closing his eyes. He focused on the way Otabek was breathing, and how he was so close that he could hear his heartbeat. Hugging Otabek made him feel at home.

That thought is what made him pull away. He couldn't get to close to Otabek. Of he got close to him, they could accidentally be married and ten he would be unhappy like his dad was. He didn't want to be like his dad. He wanted to be better.

"Can we be...friends?" Yuri asked him nervously. 

Otabek frowned and turned his body so he was completely facing Yuri. He pulled his feet onto the couch so he could get closer and gave Yuri a confused look. "I thought we already were friends?"

 

Alia Alton, Otabek's mom, looked around the kitchen as she sat down on a stool. It was a lot bigger than hers, and a lot cleaner. Figures Otabek's soulmate would be someone more wealthy than them.

The grandfather, Nick or something, was wearing an apron coated in flour. The grandmother, Viktoria, was wearing scrubs. Nick must stay home and do all the cleaning while she worked. That was a rare thing to see nowadays.

She pulled out her pack of cigarettes and took one out. There was an ashtray on the table, so one of them smoked. She knew they wouldn't mind if she did.

"So." She said, taking a drag of her cigarette. Her accent was a lot heavier than Otabek's. "The kids are faggots."

Victoria's eyes widened, not expecting her to be so blunt. Alia thought it was funny. Everyone always expected her to be sweeter than she was. Her late husband always compared her to the bitterness of vanilla extract even though it smelled so sweetly. 

"Not necessarily. Just because they are soulmates, that doesn't mean they have to be romantically involved. They are just children." Viktoria stated.

Alia huffed, flicking her ashes into the tray. "What? You think they are going to be friends their whole lives or something? That's not how the world works, sugar."

She had met her soulmate when she was 19 and he was 25. Before she even got a say, her parents kicked her out of the house and made her live with him. It wasn't that bad, she had realized. He was kind and always made sure she had everything she wanted.

Within time, she grew to love Taras. She had Otabek when she was 22, and Damira when she was 25. They were planning on having another child when he died in the accident.

Now, she was almost 30 and stuck raising two kids by herself. She had to have the worst luck in the world for one if her kids to find his soulmate so early. And for it to be another boy at that.

Growing impatient, Alia put out her cigarette and leaned forward. "Listen, where I'm from, you ditch your kid as soon as they meet their soulmate. Now, with Otabek only being 7, I can't do that, now can I?"

Nick narrowed his eyes at her, which just brought a smirk onto her mouth. They obviously cared about their grandson. That was easy to see. If she played her cards right, Otabek being the kids soulmate might get her some money.

This was probably the best thing that happened to her in a long time.


	8. Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my vacation! Sorry for not posting, been really busy. I decided I would go ahead and post this. I have no idea when the next one will be done, so I might have to go off schedule for a while. I love reading all of your comments and laughed my ass off at how so many people were calling Otabek's mom a bitch. I love it.

Weeks past before Otabek and Yuri were allowed to hang out after school. Otabek didn't understand why. His friends used to come over all the time. Why was Yuri any different?

Granted, the only reason he was going over was because he didn't have anywhere else to go. His mom had to leave town for a few days for her work, and Mrs. Johnson was visiting her son. The Plisetsky's were their only option.

Otabek was currently watching his mom pack. She had left for work before. It wasn't anything new. Otabek never understood what she did while she was there. All he knew was that she came home with a lot more money then she had when she left.

"You be good, you hear me?" His mom told him as she slung the strap of the duffel bag over her shoulder. "I don't want to have to come home early."

He nodded, and gave his mother a hug. He hated it when she left. Damira always cried and asked questions that he couldn't answer. 

"Yes ma'am."

His mom cupped his cheek and smiled. She kissed the top of her head and walked out of the room. Damira was in the middle of her nap, so she was going to be upset when she woke. It was a lot easier to console her then instead of having to calm her down when his mom left.

Otabek watched as his mom walked out of the door and sighed. He gathered all of the dishes from the table and brought them over to the sink. He moved his step stool in front of the counter so that he could reach the faucet. 

As he started washing the dishes, he couldn't help but think about his mom. She had been acting differently lately. She was nicer to him, especially in front of others. He didn't know why, and it was bothering him.

Was it because of Yuri? Did she thank they were going to run away and get married? His aunt Alysia, his moms younger sister, had done that. He remembered his dad telling him that it made his mom really sad. She didn't want her sister to get married yet.

Sometimes he wondered if his mom was a good person. None of the other moms he met drank the bad smelling stuff that she did. She drinks it every night that she is home.

Otabek tried it once. He wanted to know why she liked it so much. He waited until after his mom was asleep and took a sip from her glass. Unlike the tea colored stuff she normally drank, this one was clear and looked like water.

He remembered how bad it burned his mouth, to the point where he spit it out. It tasted nothing like water! His mom should really drink chocolate milk like he does.

He had an hour until Yuri was supposed to come get him. He knew that he needed to wake Damira up and finish putting her stuff in a bag. Otabek was going to be at Yuri's for the whole weekend!

He couldn't remember the last time he was this excited. Back in Kazakhstan, he had sleepovers all of the time. His dad would order pizza for them and they would eat it while they watched cartoons. They would fall asleep right there on the couch.

Otabek remembered one of his old friends, Serik, used to have nightmares a lot. He would wake up crying, and Otabek would have to try and calm him down. Every time he asked him what he dreamed about, Serik would tense up and go quiet. It took a while for him to tell Otabek, and he had to swear into secrecy. Otabek felt a little proud that his friend trusted him enough to tell him that he was terrified of cows.

Sometimes, Otabek thought about his old friends. He wondered what they were doing, and how they were. Does Arya still steal all of the crayons? Does Berkamin still eat paste? Does Cedrik still wet the bed?

Have any of them met their soulmates yet?

He wondered what they would think if Yuri. Would they like him, or would they hate him? Arya was rough around the edges, but she was really smart. She used big words that made Otabek smile. She always knew just what to say to chest everyone up. She would get along with Yuri since Yuri was smart enough to skip a grade.

Berkamin wasn't the smartest out of the group. He was really good at running, though. He was even faster than Otabek. He was the only one of them that could actually do a pull up. Otabek knew that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to Yuri. He was the brave one of the group.

Cedrik, on the other hand, was a bit of a coward. He got scared easily and always ran away if he felt threatened. He is the one that cries on the first day of school every year. However, he has a big heart. He tries to be the voice of reason, especially when the group wants to do something dumb like climb on top of the big rock in front of Arya's house. He cared about all of them, and kept a box of Band-Aids in his backpack.

That just left Otabek. Before he lost his dad, he was the funny one. He told the best jokes and was always able to make everyone laugh. He once made Berkamin spit milk out of his nose during lunch, when all he did was stick carrots in his nose. He was always smiling, and was generally a cheerful child.

Now that he thinks about it, he can't remember the last time he generally made someone laugh. He just didn't have the energy for it anymore. He kept to himself, and took care of his family.

The last time he saw his friends, Cedrik had called him a robot. It seemed like a silly insult, but he wasn't wring. Otabek just didn't feel the way he used to. He stopped wearing as many bright colors and rarely smiled. He became the quiet one, and observed more than he participated.

He doubts that his friends still considered him a friend.

When he was told he was moving to a new school, his first thought was about whether or not he should make friends. Friendship was a lot of work, and most of the time, Otabek didn't have the energy to make sure his friends were happy. He didn't want to have to try and be a certain person so that people would like him. He had gotten used to being on his own, and didn't mind not having someone to sit with at lunch.

That is why he was so surprised when he met Yuri. As soon as they met, Otabek knew he would have to protect the boy. He didn't understand why, considering Yuri was like a firecracker. He was very blunt and wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. His Russian accent often made his words sound rude, and Otabek never knew if it was intentional or not.

Yuri wasn't supposed to happen, but Otabek was glad that he did. While he had no problem with being alone, he did get lonely. It took him a while to realize there was a difference between the two.

When he is with Yuri, he doesn't feel forced. He feel like he can just do what makes him happy and Yuri isn't going to care either way.

At first, Yuri seemed to not really want anything to do with Otabek. He would ignore him during class, and glass at him at lunch. He slowly started to open up, and now they barely talk to the other students. He didn't want it any other way.

Otabek's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Drying his hands on an old dish cloth, Otabek walked over. He opened the door slowly, but once he saw Yuri and Viktor, he opened the door wide.

"Hi, Otabek! You and your sister ready to go?" He asked cheerfully.

Otabek nodded, and let them walk in the house. He noticed the way that Viktor's eyes scanned the house. He made a few disapproving faces, but Otabek didn't blame him. The house was ugly.

"Damira is still napping." Otabek explained. "Let me go wake her."

Viktor and Yuri nodded as Otabek left the room. He walked to his sisters room, which he was pretty certain used to be a big closet. He kissed her cheek and shook her awake.

"What is it, Beckie? I wanna sleep!" She whined at him.

"Yuri and his brother are here. Let's get you dressed. Leggings, or a skirt?" He asked her, going over to her dresser to get her some clothes.

"Both!"


	9. Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back bitches. Just for this chapter haha. I'm back in class, and college fucking blows. I'm supposed to be asleep but who gives a fuck.
> 
> I absolutely adore all of your comments. They are fucking amazing. Everyone talking shit about Otabek's mom I LOVE IT. GIVE ME YOUR OPINIONS ON WHAT I WRITE, GOOD OR BAD. JUST SAY SOMETHING DUMB LIKE MILK because to be honest I found myself randomly typing milk for hours when I had writers block.
> 
> I will try to update when I can. Enjoy, fuckers ;)

Viktor wasn't one to judge a book by it's cover. He hadn't really talked to Otabek yet, but remembered overhearing what is mother was saying at the kitchen table.

She didn't sound nice, but considering the circumstances, he didn't blame her for sounding cross. He was still trying to process everything himself. Yuri was his little brother, and he had already met his soulmate.

Viktor liked the think that he was a good brother. He took care of Yuri, and always made sure he wasn't around when their parents fought. When His parents got the divorce, his mom wanted to take Yuri with her.

He remembered fighting with her for days about it. He would scream at her and lash out in every way that he could. While he was hurt that his mom never considering keeping him, he didn't want Yuri to end up with her.

When Nikolai offered to take them in, Viktor made sure that he won the judge over. He was charming, a trait he for from his father. It wasn't hard to convince the judge to keep them together.

Moving was hard on Yuri. Viktor tried to distract him when he saw him slip into one if his moods, but sometimes he wasn't enough. Sometimes, Yuri would stay in his bedroom and not speak to Antone for a long period of time.

He hasn't done that since he met Otabek. At first, all he did was complain about him. About his he was taller than him, and quieter, and how he sometimes got his English mixed up. At that point, Viktor knew Yuri was just finding anything he could to complain about.

He teased him about it a lot. Yuri never really had friends. He came off to harsh and never was able to fit in, not even back in Russia. As soon as Viktor noticed a chance of Yuri having a friend, he encouraged it.

It was Viktor's idea to have Otabek and his sister stay with them for the weekend. As soon as he heard that the younger boy's mom had to go out of town, he brought the idea up to his grandfather.

Now, as he stands in the Alton house hold, he has to concentrate in not gagging. The house smelled heavily of alcohol, and how the kids are able to smell it all of the time is beyond him. Even Yuri noticed the smell.

"It smells funny in here. Like Uncle Yakov's house." Yuri had said, His nose twitching.

Viktor just nodded and looked around the house. It was small, much smaller than his own. The kitchen was half the size if Viktor's bedroom, and he was astonished the the kitchen table even fit.

He wasn't judging them because of where they lived. He understood that bit everyone us going to be able to live in a nice house. Yuri wouldn't remember much of the house that they had back in Russia, but Viktor did. He grew up with butlers and his own bathroom. His own floor, really. 

The transition from a house as great as that one to the small townhouse his grandfather lived in was a shock. He had to get used to living without a servant or a maid.

No matter what, he always knew it could be worse. His grandfather could have refused to take them in. He could have been placed into foster care. Yuri could still be with their mother.

He wondered what this kid has gone through. He could see where the liquor bottles sat at the top of the fridge, and the few boxes of cereal on the shelf. Otabek had been washing the dishes when the arrived.

Viktor didn't even wash the dishes at his house.

He heard the sound of a little girl giggling and looked over to see Otabek holding his sisters hand. She was wearing hot oink leggings under a sequined skirt, a blue T-shirt with ponies on top of it. She kept giggling and smiling, and Viktor could see that she was missing one of her front teeth already.

She didn't seem shy at all and waved st Viktor enthusiastically. She was a lot more lively than her brother was, which Viktor found amusing. He helped carry their bags over to the car. 

Before she left, Otabek's mom had taken out his and Damira's car seats. It didn't take long to set then up and buckle everyone in the back. Viktor stayed quiet as he drove, listening to Damira tell Yuri about her doll.

"Her name is Becky. I named her after Otabek!" She shouted happily, holding the small doll to her chest.

Viktor noticed the way Otabek watched her fondly. The was normal, as he often caught himself doing the same with Yuri. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Yuri did the same thing when he was younger. He used to name all of his toys after me."

Yuri's face went pink as he glared daggers at his older brother. "I did not!"

Viktor just laughed even more, causing Yuri to start kicking the seat. Viktor was going to let him, having been used to Yuri's tantrums for a long time. When the kicking suddenly stopped, he glanced in the rear view mirror.

Otabek had leaned over and said something to Yuri. The younger boy was now sitting still with his arms crossed, a pout on his face. Viktor was surprised that Otabek was able to calm him so easily.

They made small talk the rest of the way to the house. Small talk with a couple of first graders mostly consists of their favorite superheros and animals. Yuri, of course, went on and on about his love for cats. Otabek nonchalantly commented that he was a fan of bears.

"You are going to love Potya!" Yuri shouted as Viktor helped them out of the car. "She is adorable!"

Viktor couldn't help but smile. He even made a displeased face, just to make Yuri happy. "She absolutely hates me..."

The two boys went inside. Yuri was smiling and almost skipped as he hurried through the door. He looked happier than Viktor has seen him in a long time, and almost looked proud to show Otabek his house.

Viktor sighed as he locked the car door. It was a really old car, to the point where you had to slam the doors to make them shut. It had rust spots and marks from where the paint was chipping away. Ironically enough, half the guys in Viktor's grade had cars either like his or worse.

There were a few that had brand new pick up trucks, of course. They were the same guys that would walk around bragging about all the girls they had slept with that weekend.

B able to help himself, Viktor let out a little chuckle as he walked in the house. He knew for a fact that at least 2 of the boys that always bragged about their promiscuity were, in fact, straight as an arrow. 

They both can easily be bent while still appearing straight.


	10. Castaño

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I have 7 assignments due on Sunday but I decided to update instead haha. I thought it was time for some fluff, considering I have a plan for an angsty chapter later on.
> 
> Also, I haven't really thought much as to how long I want to keep them as kids. I have a lot of ideas for when try are older, but I don't want to rush it, you know?
> 
> Comment with what you guys want

Yuri excitedly led Otabek into the house. He was too young to be worried about whether or not he lived in a nice home or had expensive things. He had a lot of time to worry about that when he was older. Instead, he kept thinking about how to make Otabek happy.

He led him into his room and grinned. Viktor made him tidy up before they left to pick up Otabek, so he knew his room was clean. The room was rather small, just containing his twin bed, a dresser, and a toy chest. The floor was a pale wood and had a deep blue rug on top of it. The walls were painted a light grey, and had a couple posters on them of figure skaters and animals Yuri liked.

"This is my cat, Potya!" Yuri said excitedly, holding up the fluffy white feline.

Otabek nodded in approval and pet the cat gently. Yuri felt a rush a pride go through him. If Otabek was good enough for his cat, he was good enough for him.

He looked over at the door and watched as Damira ran in, a wide grin on her face. "I wanna play, too!"

Yuri forced a smile and set his cat down. He didn't like playing with kids younger than him. They were always too grabby and whiney, and Yuri was never allowed to play as rough as he wanted. But Otabek was his friend, and he knew how much he loved his little sister.

Yuri went to his toy chest and pulled out his box of Lego's. They were the really big ones, so they were easy enough to handle. Damira should have no problem playing with them.

All three of them sat in a circle and shared the Lego's. It wasn't as bad as Yuri thought. Damira just wanted to help Otabek with whatever it was he was building, and she left Yuri to do his own thing.

"Whatcha making, Yura?" Damira asked, looking over at him curiously.

"No, sissy. Yuri, with an I." Otabek said, looking at his sister. He sounded out Yuri's name for her again and again until she was able to say it right.

Yuri felt his heart flutter. He didn't know why, but  found the whole scene really adorable. It was like what he felt when Potya did something cute. He just wanted to hug the both of them really tight and never let go.

"I'm making a tiger." Yuri told her. "See? These are it's eyes, and this is it's nose!"

They sat there and played with the Lego's until they got bored. They were still kids, so their attention span was pretty short. Damira got restless very quickly, and it didn't take long until Yuri joined her.

"Let's do something else." He said, starting to put the Lego's up.

"Like what?" Otabek questioned.

Yuri shrugged and continued to clean up. Otabek helped him, but Damira just stood up and started lookin around. Yuri watched as she went over to his bed and picked up Kilma.

"What's this?" She asked, turning it over in her hands.

Yuri didn't like it when other people touched his stuff. Especially his stuffed animals. Kilma was what Viktor referred to as his comfort toy. Yuri didn't really understand what they meant, but having Kilma by his side did make him feel better.

He didn't want Damira touching him. Kilma was his, and only his. It was one of the only things that reminded him of Russia.

However...he couldn't just take it from her. Damira was younger than he was. Surely she would start to cry if he took anything from her. He knew tat if Damira got upset, Otabek would get upset. 

Yuri didn't like seeing Otabek upset.

"Why don't we play pirates?" Yuri suggested instead. He turned to his friend, and smiled as Otabek nodded.

He walked over to his dresser and started digging through his clothes, trying to find something for them to wear. He had a couple eye patches and as swords that Viktor had given him for his birthday. He found a blue and white striped shirt and put it on along with dark pants. 

Yuri couldn't help but smile at himself. Blue and white striped. He actually knew what that was now. Before he met Otabek, the stripes looked pretty identical, considering it was a light blue.

There were some colors Yuri liked more than others. Blue was nice, and so was green. He didn't like the bright colors, though. They hurt his head.

His favorite out of all of the colors had to be black. It looked the same as it always did, and Yuri longed for the sense of familiarity. White and grey were the same, but they just weren't as appealing as the black was.

Yuri tied one of his long sleeved shirts around Otabek's neck. He didn't know if pirates wore capes or not, but he felt like Otabek needed a cape. He also tried to let Otabek wear his pirate hat, but he refused. Yuri just shrugged and put it on himself.

"Here, you and your sister can wear the eye patches!" Yuri exclaimed,handing the two eye patches over.

Damira giggled as she put the eye patch on. She out it on her right eye, but after seeing Otabek put it on his left, she switched it over. She wanted a pirate hat, too, but the only thing Yuri had was one of Viktor's beanies.

Yuri climbed on his bed and stacked up his pillows in the center. He had an old steering wheel from a car that his grandfather gave him. He put Otabek in charge of steering. Yuri moved the the edge of the bed and grabbed his toy telescope. He was going to be the navigator.

"Aye! I see land straight ahead!" Yuri shouted in his best pirate accent.

Damira squealed with how excited she was getting. "Treasure! Treasure!"

"How many meters away, Captain?"

"40 paces East!"

Pirates had been something that fascinated Yuri every since he watched a movie that had pirates in it. Yuri does this thing where he will get completely obsessed with something for a while before he moves on to the next thing.

It is normal for kids to do that. Yuri remembered a girl in his neighborhood in Russia that had My Little Pony stickers all over her backpack. He thought it was stupid because of all the rainbows, but she thought they were beautiful.

Yuri knew that his interests in pirates was fading. He didn't think about them as much as he used to. Instead of drawing pirates ships in the corners of his worksheets, he started drawing bears. He didn't even know why; it was Otabek that likes bears, not him.


	11. Analogous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna go ahead and apologize in advance for this chapter. It was...well...shit just kind of happened. 
> 
> Sorry for being MIA for so long. Kind of hard to have inspiration for fan fic when I'm writing Mythology papers on the Joker ;-; anyways, I promise I will try to update more.
> 
> If you want someone else to blame for my absence, then blame Pandamilo and just cute fanfic in general. Interesting story, actually. Check the end notes for more about this lol

The house was warm and inviting. It didn't have the weird smells that Otabek had gotten used to at his own home. He could smell the scent of baking bread and spices. He hadn't been in a place like this in a long time.

Yuri didn't seem as angry as he is at a school. Then again, why would he? This is his home. He can be whoever he wants to be here.

"Kids! It is time for dinner! Go wash up, please!" Nikolai shouted from the kitchen.

Otabek sighed, having been enjoying the game they were playing. Otabek and Yuri were doctors, and Damira was their patient. They all put their toys up before heading to the bathrooms to wash up.

Otabek had to lift up Damira so she could wash her hands. She smiled and splashed her hands around in the water, getting both of them wet. Viktor scolded them for making a mess, but Otabek knew it wasn't sincere.

He followed Yuri and Viktor into the dinning too, where Nikolai was already sitting. Viktoria was moving around the kitchen, setting the table. She had a light pink apron on it with multiple stains. Otabek couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

He thought back to when he used to watch his mom cool. He wasn't sure what color her apron had been, considering it just looked grey to him. But he did remember being able to see the shade differences due to all of the stains.

One of his favorite things to do had been cooking with his mom. She would let him stir the mashed potatoes and gave him simple tasks like grabbing the salt. Either way, it made him feel proud knowing he helped make dinner for the family.

Now, he doesn't feel proud when he cooks. It is just something that has become a part of his life. His mom doesn't cook anymore, so it is his job to make sure they don't starve. 

Of course, it isn't like he is making gourmet meals or anything. But he can make Kraft Dinner and grilled cheese sandwiches and microwave dinners. He was curious to see what foods he would be eating tonight.

"Yuri, I put two chairs next to you so Otabek and Damira will have room." Viktoria said as she sat down. "Help them get whatever they need."

Dinner went by rather fast. Otabek can recall a lot of overlapping conversations and hands reaching out to grab food. It felt overwhelming to him as he sat there, watching everyone do as they please. Even Damira was piking her plate high with spaghetti.

Yuri was the only one that noticed. Without as inf a word, be grabbed Otabek's plate and got him a slice of garlic bread and a serving of pasta. He must have understood how Otabek was feeling, because he put his plate down and just resumed eating.

Otabek gave him a weak smile and began to eat. He was focused on eating, so he wasn't paying attention to what anyone was saying. He would nod his head of a statement was directed to him, and would stop Damira when she would get too loud.

Viktor got caught on his phone, and then argued with Nikolai on whether or not he should be grounded. Otabek didn't like the way that Viktor talked back to his grandfather. Otabek would never be allowed to speak that way to an adult.

"It is my phone, and I have my own private stuff on here! You don't have the right to take it from me!"

It was like watching a game of tennis. Viktor would shout something out, and Nikolai would counter it. It went on for at least a minute when Otabek noticed how uncomfortable it was making Yuri. Even Damira looked like she was going to cry.

Viktoria sighed and began to gather the plates. "We will discuss this later, Vitya. Take your brother and go set up the cots."

Viktor just rolled his eyes and stood up. His chair scooted back harshly, making a rather unpleasent screeching sound. He ignored it and led the three kids into Yuri's room.

"Yuri, go get some extra blankets. I will set the cot up for Otabek and Damira to share." Viktor explained as he headed to the closet.

Otabek couldn't help hut notice how quiet Yuri had gotten. He wasn't making any comments anymore or putting in his opinion. The argument must have really upset him.

He didn't say anything. Didn't ask if he was okay, or if he needed to talk. Otabek knew how pointless that was. He always hated it when people talked to him that way. Instead, he helped Yuri gather up the blankets.

He wouldn't say anything, but he would listen if Yuri wanted to talk.

"I don't like when Viktor acts like that." Yuri explained. "It scares me."

Otabek carried the blankets back to the bedroom. "How so?"

Yuri shrugged. He sat up on his bed and played with the corner of one of his pillows. "Grandpa says dad used to act the same way."

After they set up the beds, the three of them took turns changing into their pajamas and brushing their teeth. Otabek had to help Damira reach the sink again, but she was too tired to make a mess. She didn't even fuss as Otabek helped her into her pajamas.

They all said goodnight to the grown ups before heading to bed. The light was off, but the door was left cracked open. The bathroom was across the hall, so the light from it acted as a night light.

Yuri was in his bed, facing the wall. Otabek and Damira were on the cot on the floor. Damira was curled into his side, already fast asleep. Otabek fell asleep listening to the sound of her breathing.

 

_Slap. A gasp. Another slap, louder this time._

__

"You fucking asshole! How dare you hit me in my own home?" It was his moms voice, and she wasn't happy.

__

"Be quiet, you idiot!" This was the voice a man. It sounded similar to his fathers, but was deeper than his. "You are going to wake our children!" __

____

 

____

Otabek awoke feeling his heart beating heavily in his chest. He was breathing hard, like he had just came back from playing outside. He wiped his hand over his face, only to find he had been sweating.

____

He waited a few minutes so that he could calm down. His chest was hurting with how fast his heart was beating. It was like he couldn't catch his breath.

____

This wasn't the first time he had a dream like this. He never remembers much of it, but he doesn't feel good when he wakes up.

____

He looks around, wondering how late it is. It is still night, that much is obvious. He doesn't hear Nikolai or Viktor moving around, so they must be in bed.

____

"Yuri? Are you awake?" Otabek whispered, leaning onto his bed. He didn't want to wake up Damira.

____

He had to whisper it a few more times until Yuri answered."You okay?"

____

The same scene from his dream replayed in his mind again. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. If he doesn't think about it, then it never happened.

____

"I...I had a bad dream..."

____

Yuri sat up at this. "Viktor let's me sleep with him when I have a bad dream. Do you want to sleep with me?"

____

Otabek blinked. He didn't know what he was expecting, but be didn't think Yuri would be so understanding.

____

"Can I?" He asked, trying not to sound too eager.

____

Yuri nodded, and Otabek climbed up onto the bed. He pulled the covers down and slipped under them. Both he and Yuri adjusted them until they were covered.

____

They were both facing each other, and Otabek knew he must look pretty bad. Yuri didn't question it, though. They stared at each other in the dark for a while until Otabek felt something warm and fuzzy moving against his leg.

____

"Don't worry." Yuri whispered, smiling." Potya will fight off the scary monsters."

____

"I didn't dream about monsters. I dreamt of my uncle."

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the deal with Pandamilo I'd I was browsing some fanfics, minding my own business, when I came across "Are you wearing anything under that?" Read it, having to stop and laugh a lot because come on Otabek is a dirty little slut and I love it. Anyways, I decided to do something I don't normally do and comment on the most recent chapter. I said some bullshit like heyyyyy you should have this this and this happen AND I GOT A REPLY. I mean, not just one, but multiple! I never write comments on stories so my mind was blown and I just had to have a shout out. Go check out this story while you wait for me to get my shit together haha.
> 
> Do you guys fangirl this much when I reply to you? Probs not lol


	12. Neptune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to be cramming for my History 1301 midterm tomorrow but oh well. There is only so much information about the Revolutionary War that you can cram in 6 hours. My fault for never reading the book haha.
> 
> I know I said this would be a cute chapter but fight me I'm stressed and I do what I want. Next chapter will be cute, Halloween party filled fluff. I promise.
> 
> I've been thinking about maybe giving you guys a fic to read every time I update? Just so you can have something to read while you wait for me, or to enjoy what I enjoyed. Think that would be a good idea?
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

"I'm being a bear for Halloween."

Yuri and Otabek were sitting together in class, coloring a picture of a pumpkin. Yuri was coloring his orange, while Otabek was coloring his green. He hadn't even noticed Otabek was talking to him.

"What?" Yuri asked.

"I'm gonna be a bear for Halloween." Otabek repeated as he scribbled. "Mama bought the costume yesterday."

Yuri forgot all about Halloween. He remembered overhearing Viktor talk to one of his friends about it, though. They are going as some cowboys named Ennis and Jack.

Today is Monday, and Halloween is on Wednesday. The whole class was having a party. Everyone was supposed to dress up and there is going to be cookies and juice and games. Yuri was excited.

"I still fit in my costume from last year, so I might just go as a tiger again."

Otabek nodded, and they resumed coloring. Yuri looked over at Otabek's drawing and noticed that while Yuri's coloring was all over the place, Otabek was careful and colored in a certain order. He went from the outside in until the entire pumpkin was green. Yuri just scribbled side to side until most of it was orange.

He just couldn't stay focused that long. His mind would wander and he would be daydreaming more than coloring. He noticed that it has been happening more lately, and he sometimes struggles with his school work because of it.

Mrs. Belle had noticed not too long ago and told his grandfather about it. She mentioned words that Yuri didn't understand and he didn't like that. His grandfather assured him everything was fine, but Yuri was gonna have to talk to a professional after school today.

Maybe that was why he felt so uneasy today.

Otabek knew better than to ask about it. They have gotten in a routine that is basically 'don't ask, don't tell.' Yuri doesn't ask about Otabek's mom or his dad or why he has so many nightmares. Otabek doesn't ask about Yuri's parents or his feelings or anything stupid like that.

There were sometimes where Yuri knew Otabek wanted to say something. When they would ride together on the bus and Yuri just looks out the window. When they are sitting at lunch and Yuri only eats half of his sandwich. When they go to recess and Yuri sits on the swing instead of running around.

Of course, there are also similar moments with Otabek. Yuri isn't as calm about it, though. If Otabek doesn't talk to him, Yuri yells. If he ignores him, he yells. If he doesn't finish his food, he yells.

They both know Yuri isn't mad. Not really. He just isn't sure how to express how he feels, so he gets angry instead. Being mad is easier than trying to figure out why he is worried.

Otabek and Yuri are still kids. They still play together. Yesterday, it had rained and they ran outside and played in the mud. They laughed and splashed each other and made castles out of the wet dirt and sticks. The best part was when Nikolai went to bring them inside, and they just threw mud on him, too!

He made them take a bath, which they did together, of course. Otabek made himself a beard out of bubbles and Yuri gave him a mohawk. They played with toy boats and pretended they were pirates again.

They played together every day during recess. Sometimes they will play tag and chase each other. On cloudy days, they will lay in the grass and argue on whether a cloud looks like a giraffe or a piece of cheese. On days when they are tired, Otabek will push Yuri on the swing.

A few times, someone would ask if they could play with them. They always decline. What is the point in playing with other kids if they had each other?

Yuri was still thinking about this when he noticed he still wasn't done coloring, and Otabek was almost done with his second page. He sighed, and set his crayon down. School was almost over anyways.

"I wish I could come with you today." Otabek said nonchalantly. "Talking to a grown up like that sounds scary. I don't like that you have to do it alone."

Yuri shrugged. "I won't be alone. My grandpa will be there."

It was obvious that Otabek was still unhappy, but the mention of Nikolai seemed to help. Otabek has gotten a lot more protective of Yuri. Sometimes it was cute, but most of the time, it was annoying.

They said their goodbyes after school as Otabek went to the bus and Yuri went to Nikolai's car. He felt kind of bad, making Otabek ride the bus alone. Not even Viktor was going to be on it today; one of his friends is taking him home.

"How was school, Yurochka?" Nikolai asked calmly as he started driving. 

Yuri pulled Kilma out of his bad and picked some loose fuzz off of he ear. "It was okay. Mrs. Belle says I'm doing better with my numbers."

Nikolai smiled warmly. "That's good! I'm glad Otabek has been able to help you."

Nikolai tried to get Yuri to talk more, but he just went quiet. He knew what he was doing. Every time he brings up something that his grandfather doesn't want to talk about, he does the same thing. When Yuri has to get his flu shot, he will ask him questions to distract him. It used to work when he was younger, but not so much anymore.

"What is this man gonna do, Grandpa?" 

Admitting defeat, Nikolai sighed. "Nothing bad. He is just going to ask you a few questions."

"Like what?" Yuri inquired. "What will he ask me? Why do we have to do this?"

"Your teacher thinks she knows why you can't concentrate. How about we go out for ice cream afterwards?"

He may be too old to fall for the question trick, but if ice cream is involved, everything must be okay.

The place they have to go to is in a different town, so they play games to pass the time. Yuri likes to play games in the car. He likes being able to trick his grandpa when they okay ispy, or beat him in red car blue car. His favorite thing to do, however, is sing along to the radio.

Viktor always has music on when he drives. Him and his grandfather do t listen to the same music, though. Yuri can't stand the music Viktor listens to. It is too slow and girly sounding. Yuri feels like if grandpa's music is manly enough for him, then he can listen to it, too.

Yuri hadn't really been feeling nervous. At least, not until they were in the waiting room of some hospital. He didn't know they had to go to a hospital. The seats were cold and hard and the walls were a boring white. He swung his legs to try to occupy himself and hummed a song until he was called into a different room.

The doctor was older than his teacher, but not as old as his grandfather. He had a kind smile and warm eyes, and Yuri felt less nervous. He seemed nice enough. He was almost bald, but had a beard. He reminded him of Santa.

"Hi, Yuri. I'm Dr. Perez, but you can just call me Dr. P. I just want to ask you a few questions, if that is okay?"

Yuri nodded.

The questions weren't anything like what he expected. He asked him what his favorite food was, and what he liked about school. He asked what his favorite animal was, and what he didn't like about school. He had him draw a few pictures and tell him a story. 

To Yuri it didn't feel like a check up or anything like that. It felt...different. He was nice, like Mrs. Belle was, but he talked to him weird and sometimes gave him a funny look. Afterwards, Yuri felt more confused than anything.

"So?" He stated ad he walked with his grandfather back to the car. "Am I sick?"

Nikolai gave him a tight smile. "We aren't too sure, Yurochka. We will have to wait until you are a little older. The doctor thinks you might still be adjusting to everything going on."

Yuri thought back to when he was in Russia. He didn't have many problems concentrating, but then again, he didn't see things in color, either.

Thinking of color made him think of Otabek. He wished he had been there with him today.


	13. Mocha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sigh. Rough week. The midterm I mentioned? Got a 54. Eh. C's get degrees haha. I'm also sick as fuck and on a lot of medicine so yayyyy. Fucking yes. Makes my brain foggy, but ideas happen st random. I don't know.
> 
> I made a tumblr! I posted some drawings, like Otabek in the bear costume. I have other drawings and shit on their, too. It is mainly an art blog lol.
> 
> https://bigbearartstudent.tumblr.com
> 
> Anyways, I'm supposed to mention a book or something? Whatever. I'm doing it. You don't like it, fucking fight me.
> 
> The book I'm recommending until my lazy ass updates is actually a series. I think the prequel is finished, but not the main story. It is called Almaty's Fire and Lucky Seven or some shit like that. I probably don't sound to thrilled, by this was literally one of my favorite five of all time. Maybe even my favorite. Yeah, let's say my favorite. It is sooooo underrated. Go check it out my dudes.
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/series/742944

Mama is drinking again. Otabek hates it when she drinks around him and his sister. Especially around Damira. She hasn't learned to stay away yet.

As soon as he saw her grab her special drinking cup, he went and got Damira, telling her they were going to the park. It was only a few streets down from his house and was an easy distraction for her.

They walked on the sidewalk, hand in hand. Damira was skipping a little, excited to get out of the house. She had Otabek put her hair into pigtails and she was wearing a purple, long sleeved shirt, green pants with jewels on the sides, and running shoes. 

Unlike when Otabek was her age, she doesn't have anyone pick her clothes out for her. She does it all on her own. Otabek likes to think that she will wear her clothes however she wants to when she is older, too. It would be cool to see her walking around with mismatched clothes just because she likes how it looks.

Otabek himself dresses more practical. Tomorrow is Halloween, so the air is getting colder. He wears dark colors, remembering his science teacher saying they are warmer. He likes how they make him feel, too. 

He never thought that something as simple as an outfit could make him feel better about himself. Throwing on his dark jeans and black shirts makes him feel like he just put on war paint. He just wished he had a cool jacket.

Damira ran over to the swing as soon as they got to the park. "Push me, Becks! Push me!"

Otabek felt the corners of his mouth twitched as he helped her on to the kids swing and began to push her. He didn't want to think about how someone should be pushing him, too.

As he watched his little sister kick her feet and squeal in happiness, he wondered what it would be like when she gets older. He used to be how she is, but not anymore. He really hopes she never stops smiling.

Just seeing her happy made Otabek happy. He pushed her for as long and as high as she wanted. When she was done, they played tag and raced; Otabek let her win. He went down the slide with her on his lap. 

They stayed out for as long as they wanted. They probably would have stayed out longer, but it had began to rain. Otabek didn't want Damira to catch a cold. She jumped up onto his back, and he carried her home.

Mama was asleep when they walked into the house. Otabek knew it was better that way, and made a mental note to be extra quiet in the morning. He heated up leftover pizza that they had last night and gave Damira the last slice, leaving her with 2 and him 1. 

Afterwards, he did the dishes while she played with her Barbie's. He let her take them to the bath with her, and she pretended they were mermaids as Otabek washed her hair. She made him wash her Barbie's hair, too.

He dried her off with a fuzzy towel and braided her hair. She always complains when she goes to bed with wet hair. If he puts it up, it doesn't bother her as much. Otabek was just hoping it would be a quiet night.

They both brushed their teeth. Otabek toothbrush was white, and he remembered getting it at a hotel in Kazakhstan. Damiras was pinks and had tiny princess crowns on it.

When they were done, he picked her up and walked out of the bathroom.

As he carried her to bed, he thought back to when he was her age. His mom used to throw his favorite blanket in the dryer while he bathed. Is way, when he went to bed, his blanket was warm and cozy. 

Perhaps he should start doing that for Damira.

She wore one of their dads old t-shirts to bed. It was black with a faded grey words on it. He thinks it used to spell out The Doors, but it is hard to make out the words now. He doesn't even know why doors would be so important.

Instead of going to his own bed, he simple climbed into hers. He was exhausted and liked the comfort of Damira next to him. The heater was also broken, and he thought Damira would like the extra warmth.

He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the window.

 

Yuri was beyond frustrated. He had told his grandpa to wake him up early so that he could make sure his costume was perfect. Early meant more than 5 minutes before he normally wakes up.

He was in such a hurry to get his tail and ears on that he forgot to brush his teeth. Yuri didn't think much of it and would just brush them when he got home.

It was his first Halloween with Otabek, so he didn't know why he was stressing out. Otabek wouldn't care if his ears were on backwards or if Viktor messed up on his whiskers. For some reason, though, Yuri did. He adjusted his ears in the mirror over and over again, messing his hair up in the process. He made Viktor redo his whiskers and nose 3 times, throwing a fit when he looked in the mirror.

Everything had to be perfect. Nothing could be out of place or askew. Yuri was sure he was annoying everyone with his antics, but he didn't care. No one was going to stop him from impressing his best friend.

Yuri stopped what he was doing, thinking to himself. Otabek was his best friend. Just a few weeks ago, Yuri didn't even have a friend. It surprised him how fast everything can change.

He wasn't a stranger to change. No, it happened more times than he liked. But Otabek was a good change. He was glad that they met.

His mood lifted, Yuri hurried into the kitchen, shoving a blueberry poptart in his mouth. He grabbed the cupcakes his grandma made and walked with Viktor to wait for the bus.

"What are you supposed to be?" Yuri asked his brother. "Some kind of rock star?"

Viktor was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, which wasn't too weird. However, he was also wearing a black hat that said 'Wayne's World' and he was carrying a fake guitar.

Viktor just smiled, stepping on the bus. "Something like that."

Yuri looked at the handful of students on the bus. They still have the same amount they always do. The junior high boys in the front, the annoying couple in back, and then Viktor and Yuri. The two up front were dressed up as some kind of pirates. The couple in the back were a deer and a hunter. 

At least Viktor and Yuri weren't the only ones that dressed up.

They sat on different seats, like they do everyday now. The seats are right across from each other, so they are still close. Yuri always makes sure Otabek will have enough room.

He tapped his feet impatiently as the bus began to move. He would make a beat, something he liked to do when he was bored. It was a fast one, which he does when he is nervous.

What if Otabek doesn't like his costume? What if he makes fun of him? What if Otabek changed his mind about going trick-or-treating together?

As the bus slowly drove down the street, Yuri felt himself getting more and more anxious. He consciously adjusted his ears and tried to look at the whiskers through the window reflection. He pulled and tugged and his clothes, suddenly feeling like they were too tight.

He felt the bus stop. He didn't dare look out the window, knowing Otabek was getting on the bus. His mind was already preparing for the worst.

Yuri felt Otabek sit down. He didn't say anything, which made Yuri worry more. Did he really hate his costume that much?

Slowly, he turned his head and looked at his friend. Otabek was grinning in his seat, wearing a bear ounsie. Yuri couldn't decide if it was the most ridiculous thing he has ever seen, or the coolest.

All of the anxiety and nervousness he was feeling instantly went away. Yuri could not deny that Otabek looked ridiculous. 

He laughed, and then kept on laughing because he felt so silly. He thought that Otabek would judge him, but he had never felt more at home in his life. He could tell that it was going to be a great day.


	14. Alloy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I am not the biggest fan of Halloween lol. But, fuck it. Getting into the spirit one chapter at a time. I hope to God I finish the chapter where they trick-or-treat before Halloween but probably not.
> 
> Oh, I also got in the mood to write them as teens so...I did. I have the first 3 chapters done and they are long as fuck. I decided that I will make this into a series and them as teens will be a different book. I don't know when I want to publish the first chapter. It does contain spoilers so who knows.
> 
> Fic to read until next update: Why Can't I Touch It? by BoxWineConfessions  
>  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10904304
> 
> I've only listened to the podfic version of it (I fucking love podfics if any of you want to make a podfic for me I will love you to death and give you all the sjoutouts possible)

Yuri was blushing as he walking into class with Otabek. He felt a little embarrassed standing next to him. Otabek looked like an idiot. He knew it, too, and made it worse.

Otabek was having more fun than Yuri was used to seeing. He was joking around with everyone and letting people touch his ears. He really did love Halloween.

"Alright, everyone! Settle down, please!" Mrs. Bealle said. "I know it is Halloween, but we are still in school. Everyone grab your workbooks."

Most of the class groaned as the got out their workbooks. She didn't assign as much work as she usually does, but it was annoying to do work on a holiday. How was Yuri supposed to concentrate with Otabek sitting next to him in his costume?

The class was having a party at lunch. He would get to eat cupcakes and cookies and candy. Otabek and Damira were going trick-or-treating with him. Yuri was so excited, he could hardly wait!

They didn't have school tomorrow. The teachers decided to cancel it, due to how late everyone would be out. That meant that Otabek gets to stay the night.

Yuri wasn't too focused on his work. Instead, he would doodle on the corners of his page. He drew pumpkins and witch hats, even though they looked more like triangles and circles.

He and Otabek had planned out everything. They were going to ride home together on the bus. They would carve their pumpkins together (which Yuri has never done before). Nikolai was even making Yuri's favorite for dinner.

Everything was going to be perfect.

Or, at least, that is what Yuri thought. His hope didn't start to diminish until he got a note from the office. Nikolai would be picking them up, getting Damira, too. Her babysitter had gotten sick, so she would be spending the night with the boys.

It wasn't that big of a deal. Yuri didn't dislike Damira or anything. It's just that this was supposed to be just him and Otabek. They were never allowed to do anything alone before, so Yuri was looking forward to it.

He tried not to let it get him down. They had their Halloween party during lunch, and he shared his cupcakes with everyone. Someone brought juice, and someone else had a cake. They ate their sweets and played games and joked around. Yuri was having a blast.

Even Otabek looked like he was having fun. He wasn't acting nearly as shy as he normally does. Yuri felt a rush of pride go through him. He loved seeing Otabek happy.

He even let Otabek beat him in musical chairs. 

They sat one the sidewalk as they waited for  Nikolai to arrive. They had gotten goodie bags from the teacher and were trading candy. Yuri doesn't like candy corn, and Otabek does. Otabek doesn't like Nerds, and Yuri does.

"I don't understand how you could like that." Viktor muttered, standing behind Otabek. "It is disgusting."

"Don't yuck my yum. Not everyone is going to like the same things."

Yuri just rolled his eyes. They were blowing bubbles with the bubble soap they had received when Nikolai's car pulled up. Yuri could already see Damira in the back seat.

Viktor got in the passenger seat while Otabek and Yuri got in the back. The buckled up and listened as Damira told them about her day. Yuri looked over at Otabek and smiled, noticing the proud look in his eyes.

They shared their candy with Damira as they drove him. Yuri gave her the candy he didn't really like, but she didn't complain. 

She was in her costume, too. She had on a pink dress and there was a tiara on her head. There was glitter in her hair, which Yuri assumed was Otabek doing.

Yuri couldn't help but notice how's excited Otabek gets for Halloween. It was his favorite holiday, and hr put together Damira costume himself. He told him that this would be her first year trick-or-treating.

It won't be the same as it would have been if it was just the two of them, but Yuri knew that tonight was going to be fun.

They ran inside when they got home. Yuri put their stuff in his room and ran to the kitchen. Viktoria was busy decorating cookies. She snuck him one when Nikolai wasn't looking.

"I have everything set up in the backyard, if you kids want to go decorate your pumpkins." She told him, mixing a bowl of icing.

Yuri nodded and ate his cookie quickly before leading Otabek and Damira. He had been thinking about what he wanted to carve all day. Whether he wanted a scary face, as funny one, or even just his name.

When they walked outside, however, Yuri saw bottles of paint instead of carving tools. Their pumpkins were set on the picnic table, a table cloth covering it. There were plates, cups of water, brushes, and acrylic paint covering the table.

"Grandpa, I thought you said we were going to carve the pumpkins this year?" Yuri inquired, not really hiding the disappointment in his voice.

Nikolai gave him a small smile, knowing he was unhappy. "I thought it would be best if you painted it this year. Especially now that Damira is with us."

Two points for Damira. Zero for Yuri.

He knew she didn't intend on ruining his plans. That she didn't plan on being here in the first place. That didn't make Yuri feel better, though.

Angirly, Yuri flopped down on the seat and picked up a brush. He hated painting pumpkins. He didn't even feel like trying. Instead, he dipped is brush into the red paint and started smearing it on the pumpkin.

He was careless with the way he painted, not really caring how it looked. Once he was satisfied with the first color, he dipped his brush in the blue. He didn't even bother washing his brush first. He resumed his previous motions, and gasped in surprise.

"Otabek, look! The color is changing!" Yuri shouted in awe. Just to make sure he was right, he started mixing the blue and red paint together. Sure enough,the resulting color was purple.

Yuri turned to his friend, expecting him to think Yuri was a genius or something. Instead, he watched as Otabek helped Damira paint. He was helping her paint her pumpkin purple.

"More, Bubba!" She exclaimed. "I want it to look like Yuri's!"

Yuri could try being mad at her all he wanted, but he knew it wouldn't work. Yuri knew that Otabek couldn't pay attention to Yuri 24/7. Watching him and his little sister paint was one of the cutest things Yuri had ever seen.

They may not have gotten to carve the pumpkins, but they still will get to do everything else Yuri was excited for. They are going to watch Halloween movies, eat dinner, and then they get to go trick-or-treating.

All three of them went and washed the paint off of them while Nikolai cleaned up. Yuri hummed as he dried his hands. "Which movie should we watch first?"

Of course, not even their movie marathon was safe. Damira was too little to be able to watch the movies they wanted to. Instead, she got to pick what they watched. It was something called Monster High.

Yuri was miserable. All he wanted was to spend some time with Otabek. As much as Yuri liked Damira, he had his limits.

Otabek must have noticed because he kept giving Yuri these looks. He didn't really know what they meant, but it wasn't like he was going to ask. He just assumed it was Otabek warning him not to make her cry.

He couldn't wait until Halloween was over.


	15. Spice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for updating before Halloween. Oh well. Anyways, I still don't know when to publish the first chapter of the one when they are teens. I was planning on waiting until after I posted this chapter anyways, just because there is a small reference to the Orion scene in the first chapter lol. But idk man. Them as teens is really fucked up. Probably should do some Editting because, well, because they are teens. And teens don't do good things. I just don't want it sounding forced.
> 
> Anyways enjoy

Autumn has always been Otabek's favorite season. He liked that it was chilly, but not so cold that he didn't want to go outside. The fact that he can see the different colors worked in his favor.

The leaves were no longer the same shade of grey. They were all sorts of vivid colors. Reds the same shades as the roses that grew in the front of his house. Yellows the same colors as Damira's favorite dress. Oranges like the paint on the wall in his moms room.

Halloween had always been his favorite holiday. He didn't mind having it on the same day as his birthday. He loved dressing up, and what kid doesn't like candy? 

But it was more than that to Otabek. This year was different. This year, Otabek didn't have his dad driving him around, his mom and him sitting in the bed of the truck. He didn't have cake and presents waiting for him at home. He didn't have the family he was used to.

He got himself a new family. Not one made of blood. Not entirely, at least. Otabek loves Damira more than anything. Yuri has gotten closer to Otabek than he had ever expected him to. 

Otabek didn't get sad over his broken family anymore. He had gotten used to not having a dad. He was used to not being able to depend on his mom. He could always count on Yuri to be there for him.

The family he chose was closer than the family he was given.

They were all sitting together for dinner. Otabek and Damira always pray before they eat, and the Plisetskys were used to it by now.

What they weren't used to was Damira asking if they could sing happy birthday to Otabek.

Yuri looked furious. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?!"

If he was being honest, Otabek didn't really like his birthday. It reminded him too much of his father and how things used to be. He can still remember having to pretend not to hear them fighting over whether or not his uncle could visit.

"I don't like making a big deal of my birthday." Otabek explained. "We are already celebrating Halloween. That is good enough for me."

Yuri obviously disagreed. He was in a mood for the rest of dinner. He only cheered up when Nikolai told them they were going to head out.

Otabek started to feel guilty. He didn't mean to upset Yuri. He just knew that of he told him,he would have tried to make a big deal out of it.

He knew it was cliche to not want to celebrate a birthday. This day and age, it is rare for anyone to be excited about their birthday. He doesn't mind bring unoriginal, though. If it works, it works.

Otabek held Damira hand as they walked to the first house. Yuri was almost running and was the one that knocked on the door.

The door opened, and an old lady was standing at the door. She smiled, and let Yuri grab his candy. He took two pieces and headed back to Nikolai. 

Damira made Otabek walk with her up to the lady. The lady smiled, used probably used to shy kids.

"Trigger treat!" Damira shouted at her. 

Instead of correcting her, Otabek smiled. He got his own candy and thanked the lady as Damira stuck her hand in the bowl.

"Da, sweetheart, don't be greedy." He told her. "Two pieces will be more than enough."

Damira obeyed and only grabbed two pieces. They went back to Yuri and Nikolai and moved in to the next house. They hit the entire neighborhood, only skipping one house because of their scary dog.

As they walked back to the house, they looked through their candy. Yuri dumped all of his candy corn in Otabek bag, and Otabek gave Yuri all of his suckers. He let Damira eat one piece, a small chocolate bar, before telling her he had to go through it.

"Bubba! My braids are coming out!" She complained as they arrived at the house.

"It is almost time for bed, Da. We might as well just take them out."

"I'll help!" Yuri volunteered. The three of them moved to the kitchen. Otabek dumped Damira's candy on the table and started to sort it as Yuri brushed Damira hair.

Otabek put the soft chocolate back in her bag, but took out the ones with peanuts. All of the hard candy went into is bag,along with anything that had peanuts or peanut butter.

Yuri noticed and frowned. "Why are you taking all of her candy?"

"She is allergic to peanuts." Otabek responded as he put his own chocolate candy in Damira bag. "And I don't want her to hurt her teeth."

Damira nodded and nonchalantly grabbed another piece of candy. Otabek smiled and pretended not to notice. He had a sweet spot when it came to her.

"Grandpa let's me east whatever I want." Yuri said, almost bragging.

Otabek rolled his eyes and put the candy bags on the shelf. "That's why you have ugly teeth."

 

Damira went to bed early. Yuri hated to say that he was glad. He has just been waiting all day to hang out with Otabek.

They watched TV for a while before Yuri got restless. 

"Want to go outside?"

Otabek looked at him, clearly confused. "It's dark out, Yuri."

Yuri scoffed and hopped off the coach. He out on his shoes and opened the back door. "Come on! I want to look at the stars!"

Looking at the stars was something Viktor and Yuri used to do all the time on Russia. They would lay on a blanket and Viktor would show Yuri all of the constellations, telling him stories about them. 

He grabbed a wool blanket and took it outside with him. He laid it on the ground and sat down, patting the spot next to him.

At first, he didn't think Otabek would join. He looked around, a worried look on his face. It took him a few minutes to finally come over and sit down.

Yuri laid back, and Otabek copied him. It was chilly out, and Yuri was glad he was wearing a jacket. He still scooter closer to Otabek, feeling the warmth coming off of him.

"Do you see those stars that look like a cooking pot? That's the Big Dipper." Yuri said.

Otabek hummed, looking up at it. "What is it for? Angels making soup?"

Yuri laughed and elbowed Otabek, who just smiled. They laid silently for a while, each of them lost in their own minds.

Otabek is 8 years old now. Yuri still has a while to go before he turns 6. Otabek is so much older than he is! What if he decides Yuri isn't cool enough to be his friend? That he is too young? Would Otabek replace him for one of the older boys?

Perhaps that is why he didn't tell Yuri about his birthday. Maybe he had a secret party and didn't incite Yuri. Maybe he doesn't want Yuri to know about his birthday because he doesn't want to be friends anymore.

Before his mood could get any worse, Yuri pointed at one of the clusters of stars. "Do you see those three stars in a line right there?"

Otabek nodded. "Yeah, I remember that one. The Hunter, right?"

Orion was Yuri's favorite constellation. He remembered Viktor telling him the story of Orion while they were flying to America. It is the only story he still remembers.

"He made a lot of people mad, so a lady made him get wrong by a scorpion." He informed. "He lived, though. Some guy rescued him."

"Huh. Reminds me of us." Otabek remarked, casually.

Yuri turned to look at him, confusion evident on his face. "How?"

Otabek shrugged, playing with his fingers. "You make people mad. Like, a lot. But I'll always be here to help you. You don't have to worry about scorpions while I'm around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be the Ophiuchus to your Orion.


	16. Black Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well. I did it. Here it I'd. The final chapter. I can't thank you all rough for reading this and motivating me to write this. This is the first time I have finished a multi chapter book, and for it to be part of a series is amazing. 
> 
> The first chapter of the sequel is up if you haven't seen it.
> 
> Once again, thanks to everyone that read this and a special shout out to McKenzie for helping me with this. I'm not sure what her username is lol.

Yuri messed up. Badly. And it wasn't even his fault.

In his defense, it had been a rough few months. Halloween felt like a lifetime ago. It was Winter, and that meant Yuri had to practice a lot more than normal. 

Otabek would join him at the rink sometimes. He would cheer Yuri on and help him back up if he fell. There were some days when he would throw on a pair of skates and come join him.

That is all over now. Yuri is never going to get to see Otabek again.

He is running down the sidewalk with tears in his eyes. He doesn't even know where he is going. He ignores the ache in his legs, the cold air on his bare arms, the shouts from his grandparents.

Yuri eventually arrives at a park. He remembers coming here with Viktor and Otabek and feels a new wave of sadness hit him. He walks over to the swing set before collapsing down onto e closest swing.

Kicking the snow around, Yuri replays the scene over and over again in his head.

 

_"Beka! Did you see that? Did you see what I did?" Yuri shouted from where he just landed his first toe-loop._

_Otabek laughed and nodded, leaning against the railing. "That's amazing, Yura!"_

_Yuri felt like he was on top of the world. He skated over to his best friend, unable to wipe the grin off of his face._

 

He was so stupid. Why couldn't he just do anything right? He had to go and show off. Yuri just wanted to impress Otabek...he didn't mean for it to end this way.

 

_"I'm proud of you, Yurochka." Nikolai had told him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "You did well."_

_His grin had widened. His grandfather was proud of him. Otabek was proud of him. Nothing could make this any better._

 

What he didn't know at the time, was that every time you rise, you eventually have to fall. Nothing will ever be as grand as it seems. The world is full of disappointment and heartbreak, and he felt like an idiot for thinking otherwise.

Yuri was cold. If he had known ahead of time that he was running away, he would have grabbed his jacket. His nose was running and he wanted nothing more than his grandmas chicken noodle soup.

 

_A man younger than Nikolai, but older than Viktor had walked over. He looked at Yuri, before turning to Nikolai. "Are you the boys guardian?"_

_He nodded, and then walked away with the man, talking._

 

Yuri should have down something. Should have walked over, demanded to know what they were talking about. He should have thrown a fit, caused a scene, anything to stop what was happening.

 

_"That really was cool, Yura." Otabek had told him while he untied Yuri's skates for him._

_Yuri felt warm all over. He had been feeling guilty for not hanging out with Otabek as much. They got to see each other at school, but Yuri went straight the the rink afterwards. Otabek was only allowed to watch him practice on the weekends._

 

Otabek insisted that he didn't care. That he was fine as long as Yuri was happy. Otabek was taking it and they both knew it.

He was always doing that. Saying things to make Yuri feel better. He hated it. He'd rather Otabek be honest with him.

Otabek was always telling him how things were getting better at home. That his mom was taking care of him and that he got to eat three meals a day. Yuri knew all of it was a lie. His grandparents knew, too, and started making Otabek's lunch along with Yuri's.

Would they still do that when he is gone? Will they even care what happens to Otabek? To either of them?

 

_"Grandpa!" Yuri had shouted. "We have to go! Gran Gran is waiting for us!"_

_Otabek scolded him for interrupting the adults. The man game Nikolai a small piece of paper and walked away. When Nikolai came back, he seemed to be in a much better mood._

_"Who was that man?"_

_Nikolai just smiled. "We will talk about it at home."_

 

We will talk about it at home. That means 'we will talk about it when Otabek is gone'. Perhaps that was for the best. Otabek didn't need to see Yuri like this. 

It was ironic, considering he was the only person Yuri wanted to see. He would get to say goodbye, right? Nikolai wouldn't send him away without saying goodbye.

Yuri couldn't believe Nikolai was sending him away in the first place.

 

_"I know I said you could stay the night, Otabek, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you home." Nikolai had told him._

_Otabek looked sad, then frightened, and then sad again. He just nodded and looked out the car window. Yuri knew what that look meant, and it wasn't good._

_"Why can't Otabek stay with us?" Yuri asked, trying not to let Otabek know he was worried._

_"We have a family meeting tonight."_

 

Yuri wished he would have lashed out. Claimed that Otabek is family, so that means he gets to stay. He wished he would have done more.

 

_Yuri turned to his friend. He could tell that he was nervous by the way he was breathing. Yuri reached over and held his hand in his own._

_"Don't worry, Beka. I'm sure he is asleep."_

 

They have been through everything together. Yuri was always ready to help, even when Otabek didn't want him to. And Otabek was always there to listen to Yuri rant.

When Otabek's uncle came to visit, Yuri was there to sneak him into his house. Yuri didn't know much about Hayes, just that Otabek was scared of him. He looked like Otabek, had the same eyes and nose as him. 

They were in the backyard, playing in the mud when Otabek explained why he hated his uncle so much. He told him about what he overheard back when his dad was alive.

Yuri told him not to worry. That his dad was still his dad, no matter what. Otabek had hugged him then, tighter than he ever had before.

 

_Yuri waved as Otabek got out of the car. He felt sad as he watched him go inside, knowing nothing good was going to happen. He made Otabek promise that if things ever got as bad as they did the first night, he would run to his house._

_He didn't say anything as they drove back to the house. Yuri was nervous; he had no idea why they were having a meeting. Does it have something to do with how happy his grandfather looks?_

 

Yuri heard the sound of the snow crunching under someone's feet. He flinched, and looked up. He didn't know who it was going to be, but he was scared nonetheless.

Viktor smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. "May I sit?"

Yuri nodded, and Viktor sat down on the empty seat next to him.

 

_His mood wasn't as high as it was earlier. Normally, when he got home from practice, he would tell his grandmother about everything he did. Now, he just wanted to rest._

_"How was practice, sweetheart?" She asked as he walked into the kitchen._

_"Fine."_

 

Viktor didn't talk right away. He knew better than to do that. He took his time, waiting to see if Yuri would speak first.

 

_Yuri could still hear them from where he was hiding in his room. "What is wrong with Yuri? Did something happened at practice?"_

_"He thinks he is in trouble." Nikolai explained. "I will explain it all when Viktor comes home."_

 

"Everyone is worried about you." Viktor said, realizing Yuri wasn't going to speak.

Yuri shrugged, indifferent to the emotions of his grandparents. They didn't think about what their decision would make him feel. Why should he be any different?

 

_Viktor had spent the day out with some of his friends. He wasn't going to be home for a few hours. The frantic buzz in the house was driving Yuri insane._

_Something had happened. Something big. No one was telling him anything, and Yuri felt as though he was losing his mind._

 

Viktor wasn't impatient. He was kind, trying to get through to his brother. "This isn't the end of the world, Yuri."

"How would you know?"

 

_Minutes feel like hours. Yuri is so anxious, he doesn't know what to do. He tried to relax, don't he breathing exercises Otabek taught him. Nothing was working._

_"Was the Viktor's car?"_

_"Yes, I believe so." Nikolai responded. "I'll go get Yuri."_

 

"This will be good for you. You have an amazing opportunity right now." He wasn't speaking to Yuri like he normally does. He was speaking to him like he was an adult.

Yuri was taken aback, so used to be patronized. He was starting to rethink his tantrum.

"I just got settled in here. I can't go through that again."

 

_Yuri knew he was coming in before he even opened the door. "Yurochka, we need to speak with you in the sitting room."_

_He wondered what would happen if he just stayed in his room. He didn't want to hear the news. He didn't want his grandfather to act this way._

_But he trusted him, knew he would never do anything to hurt Yuri. He followed Nikolai to the sitting room,and sat down next to Viktor. He looked more confused than Yuri._

 

"You have adjusted very well. It shouldn't be hard for you to do it again."

Like Yuri hadn't thought about this. "I was a mess before I met Otabek."

 

_"Grandpa, what is going on?" Viktor asked. He didn't even have time to take off his shoes and coat before he was dragged into this._

_"I have some amazing news regarding Yuri's skating."_

 

Viktor started to swing a little. He gets fidgety when he is nervous. "You don't need Otabek."

"Yes, I do." Yuri scoffed. "You will understand when you meet your soulmate."

 

_Nikolai looked at Viktoria, and they shared a smile. When they turned back to face the kids, the did so in unison._

_"Yuri has been selected to go to a private boarding school up north. Full ride, too, until he is 18."_

 

"You can still visit."

"Why should I?"

 

_"Are you fucking insane? He is 5 years old!"_

_Viktoria nearly had a heart attack. "Vitya! Language! And Yuri is a talented boy!"_

 

Yuri had nothing else to say. What was the point? They were sending him off without asking for his opinion.

Honestly, he didn't know what his opinion was.

 

_"He will be getting one of the best educations in the state, along with his own skating coach." Nikolai claimed, making it sound like a dream come true._

_Viktor was still fuming, trying to argue with Viktoria. Nikolai kept spouting out 'helpful information'. Yuri was still trying to process everything._

 

"Do you want to say goodbye to Otabek?"

Even though he immediately regretted the decision, he shook his head. Saying goodbye would be too painful. His heart was broken enough as it is.

 

_"You are sending me away?"_

_Nikolai gave him a look of pity. "Yes, but-"_

_"I thought you wanted me?"_

 

"You will be fine, Yuri. I'm sure of it." Viktor said, a notable tone in his voice. It was the same tone he had when he told Yuri that they were going to stay together after the divorce.

Slowly, Yuri turned to Viktor. "Will you be okay without me?" 

Viktor gave him a sad smile. "I'm not sure."

 

_No one was saying anything. They just looked at each other. Why did adults always look at each other?_

_The room was getting too small. It was getting hard to breathe. He needed air. Fresh air. Without thinking, he got up and ran outside._

 

"Will you tell me another story?" Yuri asked Viktor, looking up at the stars. It wasn't clear, but he could still make out the brighter ones.

Viktor smiled. "I've told you enough stories. Why don't you tell me one?"

Yuri frowned. What does he know about that Viktor doesn't?

"What type of story?..."

Viktor hummed, and looked back up at the sky. He watched as the snow started to fall and smiled. "Tell me about colors."


End file.
